ACCIONA has received the go-ahead to construct its first Kentucky solar farm from the state’s siting board. The 188-MW Fleming County project is one of four in Kentucky, Ohio and Illinois that were part of a power purchase agreement with Amazon announced last year.
“We are incredibly excited to receive this approval from the Kentucky Siting Board, and thank the Board for this order,” said Joaquín Castillo, CEO of ACCIONA Energy in the U.S. “We believe the Fleming County Solar Farm can be a key piece of post-pandemic economic recovery for the county, and will be a model for future solar development in Kentucky.”
The project represents a significant step forward for solar energy in the state, and has the opportunity to more than double installed-solar in Kentucky, according to data from the Solar Energy Industry Association and recently approved Kentucky projects. The project was the first to go through the public hearing process now required for projects in the state.
ACCIONA will invest almost $200 million in the Fleming County Solar Farm, which will have a significant economic impact on Fleming County, where it is located, with the creation of up to 300 jobs during construction, and local tax contributions to support the county and local school districts. In addition, the project will be part of ACCIONA’s Social Impact Management program, which reinvests a portion of the project’s annual revenue into community efforts to improve education, wellness and environmental stewardship.
In December, ACCIONA announced an agreement with Amazon to provide 641 MW of clean energy to Amazon from projects in Illinois, Ohio and Kentucky. ACCIONA plans to break ground on a 100-MW Illinois project that is part of that agreement next month. Two additional projects remain in review with state permitting authorities.
